MERCHANT

Yes by road here we be both twain To whom thou dydyst promise to meet here again To dispute the question that we began which of us could prove him most gentleman Then Imervell men desire to be called Of the Blood of them that excelled In worldly honour as kyngꝭ & emꝑours where some were tyrantꝭ some were continued ̄ querours And few desire to be called of their blood which have been called Just me ̄ virtuous & good And used indifferent Justice & equity Meekness abstynens or wilful poverty Thou art but a railer to speak so soar Again gentlemen & marchauntꝭ evermore Be not plowmen & other that dryfe the cart And such rustical fellows as thou art Falls shrews & life as vycyously also As gentlemen of landꝭ & marchauntꝭ do why thynkyst all marchauntꝭ & gentlemen nought Keep the peace Master's hold your would ̄ dys for shame To make this business you be greatly to blame you will dysturb all this hold company Sir hold your to ̄ g your words be nothing good we loose here w to this lewd altereacyon Much good pastime and recreation But I love it not therefore of felyshyp Leave this brabbling and w to good argument Try the matter that is nost continued ̄ uenyent There is always good remedy for that That is to compel them to do some what So that ych man having inheritance Have some auctoryce and governance wherein he should take pain and business To coustrayn him to eschew Idleness ¶By gogges body sirs I hold you both mad you be like some woman that I know well when they would any matter unto a man tell They will tell .xx. talys by the way Nothing to purpose to the matter that they Did First intend to tell and declare And in like manner now both you do fare For you dispute now whytheyr inheritance Be a reasonable thing or a good ordinance which is a matter no thing ꝑteynyng To the question moved at the begynnying For the question was which of us all three Could prove himself most gentleman to be If thou have ought ellꝭ to say now speak on All those poyntꝭ I think must needs grau ̄ tied be what arguyst more therot forth let us see Thou liest skla ̄ derours churl for I Thy ̄ k of troth Thou vsyst sych vyse more then we both If thou use them need compellyth the thereto For if thou coudist hardli thou would other wise do Sith I see he sta ̄ dyth in his own continued ̄ sait so well That opinion we shall never expel From him by no argument nor reason Therefore now for a little season Let us deꝑt from him I hold it best Then we shall have w to him some rest wherefore for a season let us both deꝑt you that we will farewell for a season For to tarry here longer we see no great cause Then fare you well as wise as two dawys And I pray God send you such grace both twain To be stark cockcoldꝭ or you come again Now Master's they be both gone away Therefore one word now hark what I Say we see well now by plain exꝑience when a man is set in a wyllfull credens All to fortefye his own opinion If God him self than would with him reason In effect it shall no more avail Than w to a whip to dryfe a snail Therefore no remedy is that I can see For evil men that be in authority But let them alone till God will send A time till our governors may intend of all enormytes the reformation And bring in their hands the rod of correction And the reforming of injuries them self see And will say p ̄ cysely thus it shall be For exortacyons teaching and p ̄ ching Gesting and railing they mend no thing For the amendment of the world is not in me Nor all the great arguments that we three Have made sith we reasoned here to gedyr Do not p ̄ vail the weight of a feather For the helping of any thing that is amys we can not help it then sith it so is I will let the world wag & home will I goo And dryf the plowgh as I was wont to do And pray God send us peas I will no far mell Therefore Master's all now fare you well And so am I by sweet Saint John I hard not a chorll this seven year Show so cursed reasons as he hath done here For the maintenance of his opinion yet he his desseuyd for all his reason For it is necessary that rulers be To have posseyons to maintain their degree And those few to dryfe the multitude all of the other people to labour to fallen For if the rulers drof them not thereto The people would be ydyll & nothing do And most reason is that governance Should come to such rulers by inherytaunce Rather than to have them chosen by election Oft tymys by dread mede and affection Men of evil conscyens that great tyrants be Rede old cronyclys the prove you shall see And though they have great wit and learning Yet so proud they be thereof they fere nothing Neither God nor man but evermore Still w to out council or advise follow their own will But they that by inherytaunce rulers be Though they have no great learning yet we see yet maketh them more fearful & better continued ̄ tent To follow wise men's council and advisement And sith that that hath been so long continued ̄ tynned Enherytours to have rule and so long used And that they have ruled by as dyscressyon As the other that have be chosen by election If that order of rule by succession of Blood Should be dystroyd it should do hurt & no good That reason is so great no man can debar Nevertheless that churllysh knave that carter After his found opinion thinketh thus Himself more gentleman than us There can be no truer saying nor sentence And the cause thereof we see by expience For these poor wretches that have no thing Must be nygardys churlyth and sparing But gentlemen be taught to be liberal And so they may be for they have where w to all A better reason no man can devise And yet farther I think likewise He that hath great haboundance of riches May use liberality and gentleness And also it is ever necessary That some life in wealth and some in misery And let churllys babble and say what they will Hit hath been so ever and will be so Still For it is almighty gods purueaunce wise men of folys to have the governance And they that rule well I beseech Jesu Send them good life & long to continue